The
South Philadelphia High School campus features little green space and few outdoor play areas. This means that there are limited opportunities for hands-on learning outside of the classroom and few options for community gatherings.
To remediate the situation, the
Lower Moyamensing Civic Association is partnering with the school to make the grounds more green and less gray. On April 9, they are launching a Greening Master Plan crowdsourced fundraising campaign. The organizers promise to transform the school's campus into a model of sustainability for both students and the community at large.
The campaign -- which is being hosted on
Projexity.com -- aims to raise $26,300. That money will fund the planning process as well as a garden coordinator position at the school. Philadelphia-based design and engineering firm
Roofmeadow will be in charge of developing a cohesive vision for the campus.
When completed, the renovated space will feature ground-level rain gardens, street trees, expanded vegetable gardens and a rooftop farm that will serve as an interactive educational platform. The salaried garden coordinator will maintain the improvements and lead programming for both students and the community.
According to Kim Massare, president of the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association, the fundraising drive arose out of necessity. "The school yard is already informally used as a park in the neighborhood," says Massare. "The Master Plan will formalize that activity."
The fundraising campaign will last 60 days, and be followed by a one-month design process led by Roofmeadow. Once that work is complete, grants and other funding opportunities will be sought.
For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, click
here.
Source: Kim Massare, Lower Moyamensing Civic Association
Writer:
Greg Meckstroth